Ideas for Multimedia Entertainement Center In Car?

FormFactorFormFactor At the core of forgotten
edited August 2009 in Hardware
I am in the process of buying an SUV and would like to pimp it with a unique entertainment center.

I'm leaning towards using an XBOX 1 running XBMC as the computer, Housing it someplace in the back, and running a USB cable up to the front, and mounting a USB Remote censor someplace in the dash. That way I can use the IR remote for input, and install a wireless network bridge so I can update content wirelessly across my home network.

The hard part I think will be finding a screen. I would really prefer to just get a Car Stereo deck with a somewhat descent display, with audio and video inputs for the xbox. Unfortunately I am not having any luck finding 1.

Anyone have experience with this? Recommend a deck or a screen perhaps? Or maybe know of a good website where people have posted their setups for reference? When XBMC was HUGE (xbox1 hayday) I remember seeing these setups all over the inanets, but now I cant find many :(.

Comments

  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited August 2009
    Try mp3car.com and carputers.org, though they appear to be not showing anything for me right now.

    You might consider sourcing a broken laptop's good screen, or checking out Mimo's USB-driven displays if you can find a converter or hack one.
  • FormFactorFormFactor At the core of forgotten
    edited August 2009
    Snarkasm, I do have access to broken laptops... lots of them in fact. I never even thought of that. Great idea. How hard is it I wonder to add a composite video input, and standard 120V power source. Is this something a guy with very very poor soldering skills could pull off?

    Mimo's product looks quite promising too, I mean a 7" touchscreen? GTFO that is bad ass. Good ideas man, thanks for the input. I would never have heard about their lil USB touchscreen, at very very worse, I could use an old broken laptop along with a Mimo screen.
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited August 2009
    The thing with monitor laptops is just figuring out exactly what model panel you have and then finding the pinouts for the connector. Depending on your level of electronics work, you may have a not-so-bad-time, or you may have a miserable time that ends with a lot of money wasted and broken screens lying around you in tatters.

    I'd say just do your research on what you have access to and see if others have done some of the legwork for you.

    Let us know how it goes! If you have questions, post 'em up and maybe some of us can help.
  • _k_k P-Town, Texas Icrontian
    edited August 2009
    My friend built a car media PC. He just got hold of an atom board, cheap ram, I found him a metal proto-board box, we slid in a 2.5 in drive, he located a dc-dc converter, and used the touch screen from a zalman media case he got cheap. He said he was going to keep a folding keyboard and travel mouse in the glove box in case.
  • Nate_LapTNate_LapT Ferndale MI. Icrontian
    edited August 2009
    touch screen and a broken laptop would be best option.. if you have one that is.
    I personally wouldnt bother with the xbox anymore. Its decent for what it does but its quite under powered nowadays. and not quite worth the time in modding just for what its capable.
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited August 2009
    Not to mention, isn't XBMC ported to run on a PC now as well? So there's not really any reason to not go with one if you've got the parts.
  • FormFactorFormFactor At the core of forgotten
    edited August 2009
    Yea, tru dat on both comments regarding the xbox, my main reason for leaning toward that is because I have 2 modded xboxes that basically collect dust. I also have that laptop with a broken screen I may just end up using, but its not much faster (p4 1gb ram), also like the idea of building a small machine...

    Decisions decisions :)
  • Nate_LapTNate_LapT Ferndale MI. Icrontian
    edited August 2009
    lets see xbox 733mhz 64mb ram. P4 ? with 1gb ram.. hmm..
  • FormFactorFormFactor At the core of forgotten
    edited August 2009
    I think its an actual desktop P4 (without hyperthreading)@ 2.4GHZ. I got maybe 45 min of battery life when I first got it. Hell maybe ill find a way to use BOTH a computer & the xbox. I do like the games on the xboxes HDD, and that would be nice to have in the truck.
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